Simultaneous Treatment with Benzoic Acid and Salicylic Acid Prevented Ochratoxin A Toxicity in Female Mice

Mycotoxins are biologically active, toxic secondary metabolites characterize by adverse health effects in both humans and animals. The present study aims to evaluate the protective effects of benzoic and salicylic acids against Ochratoxin A (OTA) that used to experimentally inducing of toxicity in female. A total of 12 mice were purchased, acclimated and divided equally and randomly into 4 groups as following; G1 (received only OTA), G2 (received OTA and benzoic acid), G3 (received OTA and salicylic acid), and G4 (not received). The findings revealed that mice exposed exclusively to OTA showed severe clinical symptoms such as poor general condition, reduced body weight gain, increased organ weights, as well as increased biochemical markers indicating liver damage, renal dysfunction and cardiac damage. Histopathological examination revealed significant tissue damage in liver, kidney, and heart tissues, confirming the severity of OTA-induced ochratoxicosis. Conversely, mice treated simultaneously with OTA and either benzoic or salicylic acids were showed substantial improvements in health status, including restored body and organ weights, normalization of biochemical parameters, and reduced histopathological damage, comparable to control animals. The findings clearly demonstrate that benzoic and salicylic acids can potentially ameliorate the health status of animals exposed to OTA toxicity.